York Hears Schools' Pitch For Computers

February 12, 1998|By GWENDOLYN CRUMP Daily Press

YORK — Mary Beth Moss, a geography teacher at Grafton Middle School, told York school and county officials that she has seen some students, who previously wouldn't open a book, take a real interest in lessons since computers were involved in classroom instruction.

But members of the County Board of Supervisors continued to express concern Wednesday over underwriting the school system's $17 million technology plan.

Last week the county outlined its capital improvements plan. The School Board requested more than $2 million for the second phase of its computer plan; the county approved $198,000.

"We're very disappointed," said Don Felling, School Board's vice chairman. "It's not nearly enough to do what we intended."

During a tour of the Grafton Middle/High School with school officials, Walter Zaremba, a member of the Board of Supervisors, asked whether new computers would generate better test scores.

Schools superintendent Steven R. Staples said test scores are a small percentage of student achievement.

He said although technology is a part of the state's new standards of learning, guidelines that measure what students should know at certain grade levels computers would make students more active learners.

It is the school division's goal to have computers in every classroom by 2003. So far, three new computers are being used at the Grafton complex.

The board had initially planned to do small projects at several schools but decided to phase in projects at four sites.

About $1 million had been set aside from state and local sources to fund the first phase of the district's technology plan, which began this school year.

The money provided for among other things upgrades of electrical systems and computers at the Grafton complex, York High and Grafton Bethel Elementary School.

But there are no plans to pay for additional phases.

Staples said the $198,000 will be used to finance the wiring at schools in the northern end of the county.

None of the outdated computers the division has in its libraries and media centers have Internet access. The new computers will provide that, Valerie Breneisen, assistant superintendent for instruction, said.

"We know that computers are important for education," said Sheila Noll, supervisors chairwoman. "But how much technology and how fast is what we are grappling with."